The Heart of Europe

Unlike living up in the north of Europe far away from the rest of the world, like I do, Switzerland is a great place to live in if you want to take a short trip to the neighbouring countries. The distances are quite short. Just get on a train and go wherever you want. Take a trip to Milan, Italy like I once did or explore Switzerland's beauty. You can discover a big part of this beautiful place in just a weekend.

To be in Switzerland is to be in the heart of Europe. In the north you have Germany, in the south Italy, in the west France and in the east Austria and the small country Liechtenstein.

Home Sweet Home

Me and my boyfriend outside the house, where I lived in Winterthur, Switzerland. | Source

Interlaken

I had the opportunity to live in Switzerland for a year. That will probably be one of the years I'll never forget. I was young, wild and free. The only thing that prevented me from discovering a bigger part of Switzerland and Europe was money. I was able to make some shorter trips, though, and one weekend I visited a place I'll never forget. It was not just beautiful, it was stunning! (I guess it still is) The day I arrived to the heart of the Swiss Alps in the heart of Europe, the sun was shining and I was surrounded by lakes and mountains, and also by nice people I just had met for the first time. For a while I thought I was in the USA, becuase somehow everybody I met on the train to this place, was speaking English with an American accent. They were all going to a youth hostel, where almost everybody seemed to be Americans. It was like a small American island in the most Swiss place of the world. This place is INTERLAKEN. This small place made a big impact on me, and probably on thousands of other tourists too. Many people come here in the winters to ski. I was here in the summertime just to enjoy life and discover another part of the country switzerland that had been my home the past year. I had spent the previous day in Bern, the capital of Switzerland and I didn't know what to expect from Interlaken. Bern was a beautiful city too, but Interlaken was an unforgettable place even if it was just a small town.

Switzerland

The Swiss flag | Source

Activities

In summertime there are several activities you can do in Interlaken. Some of them are hiking, biking, rafting and swimming, but there are also possibilities like boating/kayak, bungy jumping, canyoning, climbing/ice climbing, diving, fishing, glacier hiking, golfing, horseback riding etc. The youth hostel I stayed at offered some of these sports. Due to my small budget I had to go for the cheapest thing, just take a walk. Even if it was for free, I enjoyed every minute of my activity. It was amazing to be surrounded by nature's beauty. So simple, but yet so wonderful.

Facts About Interlaken

Interlaken is situated in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland between the Lakes of Thun and Brienz. Interlaken is at the foot of the famous trio of peaks: the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau. The area is only 4.4 km2 or 1.7 sq mi and approximately 5,500 people live here. About 25 % of the people in Interlaken are from foreign contries.The town is a good base if you want to explore the surrounding montains, for example Jungfrau (4,158 m or 13,642 ft) and the Jungfraujoch railway station (3,450 m or 11,320 ft), which is the highest railway station in Europe. Jungfraujoch is also known as ”Top of Europe”.

I Was Here

This is me in Switzerland. | Source

Surrounded by beauty

A calmness inside

Thoughts wander around

Nature's beauty relaxes me

Gives me memories

That last for a lifetime

More Info About Tourism In Switzerland

Switzerland - Vacation, Holiday, Travel, MeetingsMySwitzerland.com is the offical website of the Swiss National Tourist Office.
Find all information you need for your vacation, your holidays in Switzerland. Book hotels, apartments and chalets. Buy souvenirs, gifts or rail tickets.
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Comments 6 comments

Seems to be a very nice place Made. I want to travel someday to so many places in the world and live there to see how life is actually on othe rcountries. Great hub :)

Made 4 years ago from Finland Author

Thank you! You should do that. I really want to visit Switzerland again. It's a beautiful country. It has been almost 12 years since I visited Interlaken, and I can never forget about the place.

DeborahNeyens 4 years ago from Iowa

A very nice look at Interlaken. It sounds like a great place to visit. The poem at the end is lovely.

Made 4 years ago from Finland Author

I would like to go there again and just enjoy the beautiful scenery. Thank you Deborah!

Peggy W 4 years ago from Houston, Texas

I have visited Switzerland with a good friend of mine who lives in Germany. Like you...it created memories to last a lifetime. Check out my Switzerland hubs if you are interested. I would love to see more of it someday. Voted up and beautiful.

Made 4 years ago from Finland Author

Peggy W, I would like to see more of that beautiful country too. Thank you!